Say "cheese", you cute little vegans!

Wonko The Sane · 07-29-2003, 12:23 PM

I've gotten quite a few requests from people for my tasty vegan cheeze recipe, so here it is.

The amounts aren't exact, but with a little experimentation you'll get it right.

The base ingredient is nutritional yeast. You can get this in the bulk section of Whole Foods. The quality of the nutritional yeast varies and gives a better taste when it is lighter in color.
The second ingredient is raw cashew butter. You can also find this next to the peanut butter, tahini and syrup in the bulk section at Whole Foods. The texture of the cashew butter affects the consistency of the "cheeze". Lately I have noticed that the cashew butter has been very runny, which is not good. It should be the consistency of peanut butter to give the desired results.

The amounts are rough estimates, as I have never measured and add according to taste and consistency.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Start with approximately 1 1/2 cups dry nutritional yeast.

add salt, garlic powder and onion powder. (a few shakes of each, to taste. Make sure to add enough salt without overdoing it. This is crucial for making it taste good.)

Add enough warm water to make it into a medium thin paste.

Add a couple small heaping spoons of cashew butter. (Not too much or it will overpower the taste) The cashew butter will make the mixture thick again.

Whip with fork, making sure that it is smooth.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

That is the base for the "cheeze". There are a few things you can add to enhance the flavor.

citric acid; just a small pinch will give it a tangy edge, like the bite of sharp cheddar.

A few spoons of room temperature soy margarine gives it a nice rich flavor, excellent for mac-n-cheeze.

And a big spoon of Vegenaise (available at Whole Foods) will give the "cheeze" a nice creamy flavor that is quite delicious. This is good for a nice grilled cheeze samich.

Adding a little sweet paprika, tomato powder (available at The Spice House in Old Town or Evanston) and a pinch citric acid gives you a tasty nacho cheeze, for your Mex dishes.

That's about it. I always add either margarine or Vegenaise to give it the right taste. Hey, it's still less fat than regular cheese, so don't feel too bad about adding it.

I hope you enjoy it!

Velvet Lamb · 07-29-2003, 02:17 PM

This is similar to what Thrust and I make. But instead of cashew butter... we just throw whole cashews in the blender with all of the other ingredients.

This works especially well to make Mac&Cheeze. Use the cashew sauce on your pasta and then mix in some tomato sauce...and you have one frickin' tasty meal.

herbi · 07-29-2003, 03:06 PM

Thank you, my Sane friend! I sense a trip to the co-op for cashews and/or their butter in the very near future...

dropscone · 07-29-2003, 05:30 PM

Are cashews an aquired taste?

They seem to be an integral part of vegan cooking and all my friends love them. To me they will always be "the devil's toenails"

Wonko The Sane · 07-29-2003, 10:41 PM

Cashews are amazing. I don't think I would call them an aquired taste, they are delicious right from the start. I've never heard them called "Devil's toenails" before, but the name is quite appropriate.

By the way, never ever substitute peanut butter for the cashew butter in this recipe. The result is most nasty.

VeganKen · 07-30-2003, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wonko The Sane
By the way, never ever substitute peanut butter for the cashew butter in this recipe. The result is most nasty.

I just love the voice of experience - I can imagine your face as you tried it!

Experimenting with ingredients is fun but the results can be... interesting...

Can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing it!

Homer J. · 07-30-2003, 08:53 AM

I second Ken. First chance I get, I'm trying this. I'm probably going to add a tad bit of roasted garlic. Yum! Thanks for sharing, Wonko!
And I agree, cashews are awesome, after they're dried etc.
Has anyone eaten cashews right off the tree? I grew up near a HUGE cashew grove, and we'd run around trying to find the ripest fruits that were still on the tree - awesome fruits. We mostly threw the nuts away, though - not very edible when still green.

penfold · 07-30-2003, 09:06 AM

ooooh! i always wondered what cashew fruits taste like! tell! tell!

Homer J. · 07-30-2003, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by penfold
ooooh! i always wondered what cashew fruits taste like! tell! tell!

Delicious. Sweet, and from what I remember, the consistency of a ripe pear. (Wow, this takes me back a while)
But they have to be eaten when they're sufficiently ripe, or the tartness kills your taste buds for a while. Alright, that does it... next time I'm flying home, I'm looking for cashew groves.

herbi · 07-30-2003, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Homer J.
Has anyone eaten cashews right off the tree? I grew up near a HUGE cashew grove, and we'd run around trying to find the ripest fruits that were still on the tree - awesome fruits. We mostly threw the nuts away, though - not very edible when still green.

?!?! I just assumed they were regular ol' nuts without much "fruit" to speak of!

(and thanks SO much to Dropscone for that "toenails" comment, because I cannot get it out of my mind now! Argh...)

Homer J. · 07-30-2003, 03:39 PM

Sure there's cashew fruits - they're much larger than the nut itself. Just picture something half the size of an apple (mmmmmmmm!!!), roughly the same shape, and toenails sticking out of it ...

dropscone · 07-30-2003, 03:53 PM

If you like the toenails thing you could also start thinking of gherkins as being like Godzilla's fingers

(my friend who doesn't like gherkins came up with that one - personally I don't see how anyone could not like gherkins)

herbi · 08-04-2003, 12:49 AM

Wonko has earned his place in the Hall of Heroes, for I have eaten of his false cheese, and found it Yummy in My Sight.
Thanks!!!

(PS- that pic of the cashew fruits blows my mind...)

Wonko The Sane · 08-04-2003, 12:50 PM

The "Hall of Heroes"? Hey, I kinda like that!

You know what? If I had super powers, it would be a bad day for a lot of Chicago drivers. I would eventually use my powers for good, but I'd thin out a particular few first. I know that sounds bad, but the other Chicagoans know what I'm talking about.

I'm glad you like the recipe Herbi!

VeganArtist · 11-02-2005, 06:36 PM

Where in the grocery store do you find citric acid? Is it like a powder or something?

07-29-2003, 12:23 PM	#1
Wonko The Sane Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 252	Say "cheese", you cute little vegans! I've gotten quite a few requests from people for my tasty vegan cheeze recipe, so here it is. The amounts aren't exact, but with a little experimentation you'll get it right. The base ingredient is nutritional yeast. You can get this in the bulk section of Whole Foods. The quality of the nutritional yeast varies and gives a better taste when it is lighter in color. The second ingredient is raw cashew butter. You can also find this next to the peanut butter, tahini and syrup in the bulk section at Whole Foods. The texture of the cashew butter affects the consistency of the "cheeze". Lately I have noticed that the cashew butter has been very runny, which is not good. It should be the consistency of peanut butter to give the desired results. The amounts are rough estimates, as I have never measured and add according to taste and consistency. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Start with approximately 1 1/2 cups dry nutritional yeast. add salt, garlic powder and onion powder. (a few shakes of each, to taste. Make sure to add enough salt without overdoing it. This is crucial for making it taste good.) Add enough warm water to make it into a medium thin paste. Add a couple small heaping spoons of cashew butter. (Not too much or it will overpower the taste) The cashew butter will make the mixture thick again. Whip with fork, making sure that it is smooth. ----------------------------------------------------------------- That is the base for the "cheeze". There are a few things you can add to enhance the flavor. citric acid; just a small pinch will give it a tangy edge, like the bite of sharp cheddar. A few spoons of room temperature soy margarine gives it a nice rich flavor, excellent for mac-n-cheeze. And a big spoon of Vegenaise (available at Whole Foods) will give the "cheeze" a nice creamy flavor that is quite delicious. This is good for a nice grilled cheeze samich. Adding a little sweet paprika, tomato powder (available at The Spice House in Old Town or Evanston) and a pinch citric acid gives you a tasty nacho cheeze, for your Mex dishes. That's about it. I always add either margarine or Vegenaise to give it the right taste. Hey, it's still less fat than regular cheese, so don't feel too bad about adding it. I hope you enjoy it!

07-29-2003, 05:30 PM	#4
dropscone hat-wearing potato eater Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Leicester, England, United Kingdom Posts: 2,855	Are cashews an aquired taste? They seem to be an integral part of vegan cooking and all my friends love them. To me they will always be "the devil's toenails" __________________ "Like a cloud of blossoms falling Ain't it such a gorgeous morning? Hold your breath and reach for the blue" Blossoms Falling - Ooberman

07-30-2003, 09:06 AM	#8
penfold Reprazents Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: home Posts: 873	ooooh! i always wondered what cashew fruits taste like! tell! tell! __________________ The author, E. W. Whitmarsh is a leading biochemist, well-known for his work with bemins and cemins. He is also credited with the discovery of memims.

07-30-2003, 03:53 PM	#12
dropscone hat-wearing potato eater Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Leicester, England, United Kingdom Posts: 2,855	If you like the toenails thing you could also start thinking of gherkins as being like Godzilla's fingers (my friend who doesn't like gherkins came up with that one - personally I don't see how anyone could not like gherkins) __________________ "Like a cloud of blossoms falling Ain't it such a gorgeous morning? Hold your breath and reach for the blue" Blossoms Falling - Ooberman

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07-29-2003, 02:17 PM	#2
Velvet Lamb Queen of No Pants Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: T dot (err. Toronto) Posts: 93	This is similar to what Thrust and I make. But instead of cashew butter... we just throw whole cashews in the blender with all of the other ingredients. This works especially well to make Mac&Cheeze. Use the cashew sauce on your pasta and then mix in some tomato sauce...and you have one frickin' tasty meal.

07-29-2003, 03:06 PM	#3
herbi Reprazents Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA Posts: 5,030	Thank you, my Sane friend! I sense a trip to the co-op for cashews and/or their butter in the very near future...

07-29-2003, 10:41 PM	#5
Wonko The Sane Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 252	Cashews are amazing. I don't think I would call them an aquired taste, they are delicious right from the start. I've never heard them called "Devil's toenails" before, but the name is quite appropriate. By the way, never ever substitute peanut butter for the cashew butter in this recipe. The result is most nasty.

07-30-2003, 08:53 AM	#7
Homer J. Professional smartaleck. Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 66	I second Ken. First chance I get, I'm trying this. I'm probably going to add a tad bit of roasted garlic. Yum! Thanks for sharing, Wonko! And I agree, cashews are awesome, after they're dried etc. Has anyone eaten cashews right off the tree? I grew up near a HUGE cashew grove, and we'd run around trying to find the ripest fruits that were still on the tree - awesome fruits. We mostly threw the nuts away, though - not very edible when still green.

08-04-2003, 12:49 AM	#13
herbi Reprazents Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA Posts: 5,030	Wonko has earned his place in the Hall of Heroes, for I have eaten of his false cheese, and found it Yummy in My Sight. Thanks!!! (PS- that pic of the cashew fruits blows my mind...)

08-04-2003, 12:50 PM	#14
Wonko The Sane Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 252	The "Hall of Heroes"? Hey, I kinda like that! You know what? If I had super powers, it would be a bad day for a lot of Chicago drivers. I would eventually use my powers for good, but I'd thin out a particular few first. I know that sounds bad, but the other Chicagoans know what I'm talking about. I'm glad you like the recipe Herbi!

11-02-2005, 06:36 PM	#15
VeganArtist Reprazents Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 528	Where in the grocery store do you find citric acid? Is it like a powder or something?